The Rivers State Executive Council under Governor Siminalayi Fubara has revoked the N134bn contract awarded to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the renovation, retrofitting, and furnishing of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex.
Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas, the former Sole Administrator, awarded the contract during the emergency rule.
The council also directed the immediate refund of the N20 billion mobilization fee already paid to the contractor.
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The decisions were reached during the State Executive Council meeting held on Thursday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, and presided over by Fubara.
Similarly, the Council also approved the revalidation of the bidding processes for four contracts, consisting of the renovation of the State Secretariat Complex, construction of reinforced concrete shoreline protection and reclamation works in several riverine communities of Opobo/Nkoro, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas.
Governor Siminalaye Fubara’s spokesman, Mr Nelson Chukwudi, in a statement on Thursday night, stated that the projects were earlier advertised but were cancelled by the Ibas Administration while bid fees were returned to the companies that had earlier purchased them.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Dr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, said the revoked contract was awarded without due process.
He said the council, therefore, approved the revalidation of the bidding process for all four contracts that were earlier advertised in national dailies on February 19, 2025.
With the revalidation process now on, Dr. Ezekiel-Hart stated that a fresh bidding would be advertised in newspapers for competent and experienced contractors to prequalify and submit both technical and commercial bids.
He listed the projects to include, “The construction of 4.8km reinforced concrete shoreline protection and reclamation of Queenstown, Epellema, Oloma, and Minima communities in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area in Rivers State. The construction of 2.5km shoreline protection and reclamation in Ndoni-Onukwu, Isikwu, and Aziazagi communities in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area.
“The construction of 2.5km shoreline protection and reclamation in Utuechi, Obiofu, Isala, Ani-Eze, and Odugri communities in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area. The renovation, retrofitting and furnishing of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex,” he added.
